Monday, March 17, 2014

By God Those Must Be Regulars - The Battle of Chippawa 1814

I ran this battle using Carnage and Glory II at Cold Wars last weekend, March 7, 2014. Brigadier General Winfield Scott had spent the winter drilling his brigade and getting them into fighting trim for the summer campaign. After crossing the Niagara River into Canada his troops were leading Major General Jacob Brown's pursuit of Major General Riall's British Right Division as it retreated east towards Niagara destroying the bridges as they went. The US Army logistics were horrible. In fact, the Army had run out of blue dye for its uniforms and were forced to use grey cloth. Scotts troops went into camp on the west side of Streets Creek. After restoring the bridge Scott lead his brigade over to the empty farm fields and began drilling his troops once again. The British, seeing this activity, sent their native allies supported by the 2nd Lincoln Milita into the woods to harrass the Americans while they crossed the Chippawa River and formed up under cover of the woods. Our game includes the earlier clash between each sides native allies and supporting Militias (US 5th Pennsylvania and 386 Native Warriors and British native allies from the Grand River Band 100 and Western Natives 200 supported by the 2nd Lincolnshire Militia). The British and Americans are marching onto the field. The Order of Battle for the Battle of Chippawa 501 MG Riall 502 Colonel Gordon 501 1st Foot 502. 8th Foot 503 LTC Hay 503. 100 th Foot 504 LTC Dickson 504 2nd Lincoln regiment 505 Captain Mclachlane 505 Sheppards Battery 506 Armstrongs Battery 506. Major Leslie 507. 19th Light Dragoons 507 Captain Norton 508 Western Nations 509 Grand River Nations 201. MG Jacob Brown 202 BG Winfield Scott 201 Ninth/twentysecond 202 Eleventh 203 Twentyfifth 204 Twentyfirst 100 men (attached from Ripley's Brigade) 203 BG Ripley 211 Twentyfirst(balance) 209 Twentythird 204 BG Porter 205 Fifth Pennsylvania 205 LTC Granger 206 Native Warriors 206 Major Hindman 207 Ritchies Battery 208 Towsons Battery 207 Captain Harris 210 US Light Dragoons
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The Battlefield map

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The British begin to deploy onto the field.

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Scott's Brigade begins to deploy into the field

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The 5th Pennsylvania Militia move forward across Streets Creek to support their Native Allies

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British Form line in the field with a battery along the road

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the 100th regiment of foot form the second line

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The 9th/11th Regiment form line to meet the British advance.

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Native allies support the British advance in the woods and along the fenceline

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5th Pennsylvania advances to support the US Line slowly thorugh the woods

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Cannon Fire along the flank

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The British advance toward the fence line

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US Regulars prepare to greet the British line

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Exchanging Vollies

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Decision Time

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Both sides lose one unit.

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Here they come in the woods

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Command Integrity is cautionary, the British can no longer advance.

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Scotts Brigade also receive a no advance marker

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US Native allies advance

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Native Allies advance

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Woodlands warfarae

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The Canadian Milita is sent packing by the Native Warriors

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A native warrior prepares to slip across the Chippawa River

﻿The results from this run through of the game were the same we received at Cold Wars, a US pyrric victory. Both sides having a regular line unit disperse along with punishing losses to their remaining colleagues and native allies. Good fun was had by all.